Method of clamping to a strut channel

Abstract

A clamp is disclosed along with method of using the clamp attach or more or more strut channels to another element, which may be a flange, such as the flange of an I-beam or another strut. The clamp has an opening to accept the strut channel between a pair of sides and against the bottom of the clamp, and a pair of clamp surfaces for contacting the other element. A threaded element is provided for forcing the strut channels against the other element. A method for using the clamp allows the clamp to be placed anywhere on the strut channel and allow an installer to tighten the clamp from either above or below the clamp.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of clamping one or more parallel strut channels to an element with a clamp, where the element is a rigid element having a first element side and a second element side parallel to the first element side, and where the clamp includes a clamp bottom at a proximal end of the clamp, where the clamp bottom includes a threaded aperture sized to accept a threaded element having a head at a proximal end for tightening the threaded element and a surface at the distal end, a first clamp side extending from the clamp bottom to a distal end of the clamp, and a second clamp side extending from the clamp bottom to the distal end, where the first clamp side and the second clamp side are planar and parallel with a spacing, where the first clamp side has a first notch with a first clamp surface through the thickness of the first side, where the second clamp side has a second notch with a second clamp surface through the thickness of the second clamp side, and the first clamp surface and the second clamp surface are coplanar and parallel to the bottom, said method comprising:
 accepting the one or more parallel strut channels in the clamp, where the one or more parallel strut channels are positioned against the clamp bottom and between the first clamp side and the second clamp side;   placing the first clamp surface and the second clamp surface against the first element side with the accepted one or more parallel strut channels adjacent the second element side; and   tightening the threaded element such that the distal end of the threaded element contacts the accepted one or more parallel strut channels,   such that the clamp provides a force on the one or more parallel strut channels to clamp the one or more parallel strut channels to the element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where the one or more parallel strut channels is one strut channel having a rectangular cross section with a strut back, a pair of strut sides and a strut top having an opening to an interior of the one strut channel, where the strut back has an inner surface facing the interior of the one strut channel, and where said placing the one strut channel in the clamp includes placing the strut back against the clamp bottom, and where said tightening the threaded element provides a force to the inner surface of the strut back. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where the one or more parallel strut channels is one strut channel having a rectangular cross section with a strut back, a pair of strut sides and a strut top, and where said placing the one strut channel in the clamp includes placing the strut top against the clamp bottom, and where said tightening the threaded element provides a force to an outer surface of the strut back. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , where the distal end of the threaded element includes an enlarged surface area to provide the force on the one or more parallel strut channels when the threaded element is tightened. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where the distal end of the threaded element contacts a separate element to provide the force on the one or more parallel strut channels when the threaded element is tightened. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where the element is a flange. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where the element is the flange of a beam. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where the element is an element with a rectangular shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , where the element is an element with a square shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , where the element is an angle shaped member. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , where at least one strut channel of the one or more parallel strut channels has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , where said rectangular cross-sectional shape has a width of 3/16 inches, 1¼ inches, or 1⅝ inches. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , where at least one strut channel of the one or more parallel strut channels has a square cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where said square cross-sectional shape has a dimension of 3/16 inches on a side, 1¼ inches on a side, or 1⅝ inches on a side. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , where the one or more parallel strut channels is one strut channel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , where the one or more parallel strut channels is two strut channels including a first strut channel and a second strut channel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , where said accepting the two strut channels in the clamp accepts the first strut channel against the clamp bottom and between the first clamp side and the second clamp side, and accepts the second strut channel against the first strut channel and between the first clamp side and the second clamp side, and where said tightening the threaded element tightens such that the distal end of the threaded element provides a force to the second strut channel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , where the element has an edge between the first element side and the second element side, where the one or more parallel strut channels have a longitudinal axis, and wherein said placing places the first notch and the second notch against the edge such that the accepted one or more parallel strut channels are perpendicular to the edge of the element. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , where threaded element is a rod or a bolt. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , where the distance between the first clamp side and the second clamp side is equal or greater than 1¼ inches. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , where the distance between the first clamp side and the second clamp side is 1¼ inches or is 1⅝ inches.